Jazz breaking news: Swiss jazz pianist and composer George Gruntz dies aged 80
Thursday, January 17, 2013
News that George Gruntz passed last Thursday, 10 January, aged 80 was greeted by astonishment by those who knew him.
A larger than life figure, a dynamic personality and one of Europe’s finest jazz musicians, he seemed as if he would go on forever. Saxophonist Dave Liebman called him a “superman of European jazz,” and with good reason. The big band he led tirelessly for decades, touring Europe and the world, included some of the finest musicians in jazz from both sides of the Atlantic – just a few of the diverse personalities that passed through its ranks included Elvin Jones, Lee Konitz, Joe Henderson, Kenny Wheeler, Enrico Rava, Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, Wallace Roney and more and it is fair to say that Gruntz charmed them into becoming the magnificent, cohesive ensemble that was the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band.
Early on his career, his day job was a luxury car salesman, but his enormous talent was quickly in demand. In 1958 he performed under Marshall Brown’s baton at the Newport Jazz Festival as a member of the now legendary International Youth Jazz Band that included any number future stars of jazz. By the early-1960s we see him dealing effortlessly with Dexter Gordon on an Icon of Jazz DVD and a couple of years later become a master of the advanced concepts of Phil Woods’ European Rhythm Machine (1968-9) and then in 1982 premiering his jazz opera in New York.
Gruntz covered all musical bases with flair and aplomb and in 1973 he became the musical director of the Berliner Jazztage (the same year he formed his big band) and his 360-degree musical vision elevated the festival into one of Europe’s finest. His tireless energy composing and arranging for his big band created a huge repertoire for the ensemble since it was renewed every season with fresh originals, their performances lovingly documented by the TCB label – such as the Radio Days, a 10-CD box set released on the occasion of his 75th birthday. One of his last big band albums was Matterhorn Matters from 2010 that he was especially proud of. That same year he performed Liebermann's Symphony for Jazz Ensemble, a big band reduction of Liebermann’s score Concerto for Jazzband and Symphony Orchestra he prepared for the NDR Big Band and he seemed as if he was going on forever. Sadly not. Just like his letters and emails, he has finally signed-off with his characteristic: ‘Lovissimo George’.
– Stuart Nicholson